Storing your swap stuff??

[piratesmate]

After the first couple swaps I did, I simply put everything in a gallon-sized baggie & put it in my scrapping drawer. Since it was all Disney, it seemed easy enough to sort through to grab what I needed. I usually just pulled out the things I thought I'd use while working on my resort photos or my MGM photos etc. That worked for me.

Now, however, I have done enough swaps that I have a big bin full of these plastic bags - with no idea what's in each anymore. And often there are elements in each bag that I could be using.

So now I'm thinking I need another way to do this & could use some ideas. I hate to keep arranging & re-arranging the stuff! It's just one more thing to distract me from working on my pages.

Now that I've done the scavenger hunt & color swaps things are even more confusing.

Do you separate out the eyelets to store with your other eyelets or leave them with the swap stuff?
When you buy paper to use for specific LOs (like Disney ones) do you store that paper with your other paper or with elements from the swaps?

 

[bubbasmom99]

I got an accordian file at Target in the scrapbooking section. I use it for storing stickers but I think it would work well for the swap elements as well. There are a dozen (I think ) dividers so you could separate by park or theme (characters, rides, etc). It was only $6.99. It's around 13 inches wide and 6 inches tall so it would store even the borders and mats.

 

[JudithM]

I have a small plastic bin with file folders. My folders are in alphabetical order by topic - alphabet (I like using templates), Americana, animals, autumn, baby, birthday, borders, Christmas, Disney, family, flowers, graduation, home, military, misc., quotes, travel, weddings, etc. In each folder I keep stickers, die cuts, swapped items, some paper smaller than 12"x12"., etc.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

I took bent plastic sheets (aka the unusuable for the books ones) a stapler, a piece of cardboard and a xacto knife- and sorted the swap stuff by size then made a variety of sized pockets in the sheet protector using the stapler and did that until everything had a spot- I have about 3-4 pieces per pocket except borders which are just 2 (front and back)

I also used trading card 9 slot plastic sheets for the squares and smaller stuff

I'm on my 2nd 2 inch binder

Its prob a good thing I'm not doing anymore DIS swaps....

-em

 

[piratesmate]

Hmmm - there are some good ideas here. Thanks a bunch!

I like the idea of putting things in clear sheets in a binder - as long as I can contain everything in a single binder! That way I don't have to sort through everything & organize it. (too much thought required ) Flipping through everything every once in a while would remind me what's there.

I'll have to think about this some more. :

 

[goofymom/pop]

I was just thinking about the same thing the other day. I do have a file folder system in my rolling cart but the items sometimes get bent or fall out of the folders. I have been taking a lot of CM border classes so I have all those borders too.....and never use them because I don't know what the heck I have. I was considering buying a three ring binder and some sticker storage sheets, but hate to spend more money. Keep the ideas coming girls....I need a cost effective one.....

 

[christinadei]

Good question. I've been thinking about the same thing. I've only received 2 swaps, but I'm already overwhelmed with all the stuff. I plan on putting the eyelets and fibers in my little divided boxes with my other eyelets and fibers. For the other stuff, I was thinking of using one of the accordian folders and sorting it by theme. I have an extra one or two anyway. I don't know about the borders though, as they are too long for my files. i may just stick them in the drawer with all of my disney paper!

 

[Twigs]

Looks like a lot of us have been thinking on the same lines! For my past disney swaps I put all the things in those plastic file folders I got in Michaels. I put heavy cardstock between each swap. But now I am trying to figure out what to do with the scavenger and color swaps. I like the binder idea, and I might reorganize all my swaps this way. I also keep the eyelets with the swap items. I was going to put them in the small box organizers I have, but then I like the idea of when I go to use the items from a swap, that the eyelets that coordinate with the items are right there. I will be getting my own scrapping room and hope I can organize better when I get that set up.

 

[nicki dahling]

I just started re-organizing my swap stuff this week! I have an iris cart for them, but it was starting to fill up and I had problems finding stuff when I needed it. I just finished a disney album with mostly swap stuff. Yah !!!! Anyway, I checked my cm binder and noticed I had all of these envelopes left over from the long stickers, so I divided them into : Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, etc and put the borders and titles in the long envelopes and the rest of the elements in the old blue cm photo files. So now each drawer has a clear envelope with the borders in it and the additional items are filed with names ( animal kingdom tag, character squares, mgm journal box, etc ). The ones that were to big to fit were are placed in the bottom still in the original package. But most fit . I debated keeping the eyelets and such with the photo folders , but because I have all of my elements in a tackle box sorted by color I decided to do the same with the ones from swaps also. I'm almost finished sorting everything and labeling them with my label maker. Now when I am working on a page I can just go to the drawer and pull out the borders and then check the photo file for matching items. If I need eyelets I just pull out the case from my bag and look for the color that match my pages. I think this system ( maybe with a little more tweaking ) will really work well for me in the future. And it seems to be taking up less space then when they were just loose in the drawer.

Cyndi

Forgot to add I have seen people use the powersort to file everything as one ( I tried some of my stuff in the little black inserts and they fit fine ). Then use the decofile folders in the back for longer items like borders and titles. And use the dividers to write down specifics.

 

[piratesmate]

I just wanted to update on something I found here at the house. All the talk about 3-ring binders etc got me thinking. I used to play piano at our church with the band. (It's a contemporary service - we don't do hymns usually.) The music we used was called "lead sheets" - one page per song, just the melody & the chords listed. Anyway, I put all of the lead sheets into plastic sheets & kept them in a 3-ring binder. The sheets were made of polypropelene. (sp??)

I just checked on the CM Website & their stuff is made from polypropelene & every place I've looked says that's considered acid-free. I don't worry too much, but thought it was good info to have - you know?

So I'm going to try using those sheets to store the swap stuff.

Also, tucked in with the binder with the sheets was a Flip-N-Tell - which is an easel type thing used for presentations in meetings....it folds flat. This might work even better than the ring binder for going to crops! I can prop it up & get to the elements I want without having to flip through a book! It has 20 pages in it.

If anyone is interested in looking for this at an office supply place, the one I have is by Lion item #39009. If I get a chance once I've sorted the stuff I'll try to update with a photo.